Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-20


Pontiac is still on the point Slip in two more
cartridges. Oh, n leash this time! bangl
bang! and down came brace of them-two
brace of partridge without moving yard.
Life has joys for all men, but it has verify
believe, no JOY to compare to the Joy of the
moderate shot and earnest sportsman when
he has just killed half dozen driven par
tfdges without a miss, or ten rocketing
pheasants with eleven cartridges or, better
still, couple Of woodcock right and left.
BY this time he was right across the mount
ain top and on the brink of the most remark
able chasn he had ever seen. The place was
known as Lions kloof or Leuw Kloof in
Dutch, because three lions had once been
penned up by party of Beers and shot there.
The chasm or gorge was between a quarter
and half a mile long, about 600 feet in width
and 100 to $50 feet deep About 100 PAGES
from The near end of the gorge, some ninety
or more feet in height, stood the most remark
able of these mighty pillars, to which the re-
mains at Stonehenge are but toys 1t was
formed Of seven huge powders, the largest,
that at the bottom, about the size of u modcr-
ate cottage, and the smallest, that at the top,
perhaps some eight or ten feet in diameter
These powders were rounded like cricket
ball-evidently through the action.of water
and yet the hand of nature had contrived to
balance them, each one smaller than that be-
meath, the one upon the other and to keep
them So But this was not always the case
For instance, very similar mass that had
risen ON the near side of the perfect Pillar had
fallen, all except the two bottom stones,
and the powders that went to form it lay
scattered about like monstrous petrified can.
non balls. One of these had split in two, and
seated on it John discovered none other than
jess Croft, apparently engaged in sketching,
looking very small and far Off at the bottom
of that vast chasm.
John got off his shooting pony, and looking
about him perceived that it was possible TO
descend by following the course of the stream
and clambering down the natural steps it had
cut in the rocky bed. Throwing the rens
over the pony's head, and leaving him with
the dog Pontiac to stand and look about him
as South African shooting pories are ac-
cnstomed to do, he put down his gun and
game and proceeded 10 descend As he drew
near the bottom of the gorge he saw that near
the borders of the stream, wherever the soil
was moist, grew thousands upon thousands of
white arum lilies, pig lilies they call them
there, just now in full bloom. He had noticed
these lilies from above, but there they had
owing to the distance, looked so small that he
He could not see jess now, for she was hidden
by bush that grows 10y the banks of the
streams i'll South Africa in low lying land
and which at certain seasons of the year is
literally covered with masses of the most
gorgeous scarlet bloom. His footsteps fell
very softly on the moss and flowers, and when
he got round the glorious looking bush it was
evident that she had not heard him, for she
was asleep Her hat was off, but the bush
shaded her, and her head had fallen forward
over her sketching block and rested on her
hand ray of light that came through the
bush played upon her curling brown hair and
threw warm shadows on her white face and
the white wrist and hand on which it rested.
John stood opposite to her and looked at
her, and the old curiosity to understand this
feminine enigma took possession of him
Many man before him has been the victim
of like desire, and lived to regret that he
did not leave it ungratitied. 1t is not well to
try TO lift the curtain of the unseen; it is not
well to call to heaven to show its glory, or to
hell TO give us touch and knowledge of its
yawning fires. knowledge comes soon
enough; many of us will say that
knowledge has come too soon. and left
us deaoatc. There is no bitterness like
the bitterness of wisdom; so cried the
n
son of man following blindy in his path. Let
US be thankful for the dark places of the
earthquakes where we may find rest and
shadow, and the heavy sweetness of the night
Seek not after mysteries o son of man
be content with the practical and the proved
and the broad light of the day; peep not, NUT
ter not the words of awakening. Understand
her who would be understood and is compre-
hensible to those who run, and for the others
let them be, lest your fate should
be as the fate of Eve, and as the
| fate of Lucifer star of the morning. For
here and there is n human heart from which
it is not wise to draw the veil--a heart in
which many things slumber as undreamel
dreams in the brain of the sleeper Draw
not the veil, whisper not the word of life in
| the silence where all things sleep, lest in that
kindling breath Of love and pain dim shapes
arise, take FORM and fright thee.
a minute or so might have been passed.
when suddenly, and with little start, jess
opened her great eyes, on which the shadow
of darkness lay, and gazed at him.
"Oh!' she said with a little tremor, "is 1t
you or is it my dreamr
Don't be afraid,r he answered., cheerily,
at is lin the flesh"
She covered her face with her hand for
moment, and then Withdrew it, and he noticed
that her eyes had changed curiouSly in that
moment. They were still large and beautiful
as they always We're, but there was change.
just now they had seemed as though her soul
were looking through them. Doubtless it
was because the pupils were enlarged by
sleep.
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